Expanded metal structure.



H. E. WHITE. EXPANDBD METAL STRUCTURE.

1,088,951 1' m1' Patented Mar.3,1914

2 SEEE EET l.

' 9u' Patented Mar.3,1914.

UNITED sTATEs @TENT oEEIcE.

HERBERT E. WHITE, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL FIRE- PROOFING COMPANY, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

EXPAN DED METAL STRUCTURE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

Application led June 21, 1911. Serial No. 634,617.

Y a resident of Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented y a new and useful Improvement in Expanded Metal Structures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

forming part of this specifica-tion, in which- Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the first step in the manufacture, in accord'- ance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view, and Fig. 3 is a side View, illustrating the cutting operations. Fig. 4 is a crosssectional view showing the cut blank before expanding. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the expanded blank or structure, and Fig. 6 is a cross-section ofthe expanded blank or structure.

My invention has relation to expanded metal structures, and is designed to provide a structure of this character which will possess a maximum stiffness and rigidity; which can be readily manufactured; and which is adapted to a wide variety of uses.

In producing a structure embodying my invention, I first take a flat metal sheet and subject it to the action of dies to form therein the longitudinally extending,'relatively deep, parallel ribs 2, as shown in Fig. 1.

The sheet may be of any desired width and may be formed with any number of these parallel ribs, and the form of the ribs may be widely changed without departing from my invention. I next cut or slit the blank,

the first cu'ttin consisting of a series of alined longitu inal cuts 3, formed centrally between adjacent `ribs, or between the pairs of adjacent ribs, and then make subsequent parallel cuts 4 at each side of the central line of cuts, each successive cut acting to stretch the metal between the cuts downwardly, so that the blank assumes the V- shape, shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Figs. 2 and 3 show the manner in which the cuts are successively made, until 'finally substantially the entire space between the adjacent ribs iscut and stretched so that a cross-section through two adjacent ribs and the intervening slitted portion, taken at any point through the length of the Sheet, will have the general V-f0rm1 shown in Fig. 4. Each series of cuts or slits is staggered or alternated with respect to those of theadjacent series, so .as to produce a diamond mesh.

This cutting or slitting can be very accurately done, since the ribs 2 act to greatly increase the stiffness of the sheet and permit 1t to be rigidly guided and held to the action of the cutting dies. Vhen the cutting or shtting has been completed, the blank is expanded laterally to bring the cut or slit portion or portions into a substantially fiat plane, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The expanded structure thenl shows, between each pair of ribs, an expanded section of diamond mesh, form with the slats or bars of the mesh inclined at a considerable angle to the flat plane of the structure, the bars 6 at one side of the longitudinal central line a of the expanded portion, being inclined reversely to the bars 7 at the opposite side of such central line. This inclination of the mesh bars, and particularly the reverse inclination at opposite sides of the central linea, greatly increases the strength and rigidity of the structure.

It will be readily understood that while I have shown a structure having only two ribs, that the structure may be of any desired width within practical limits, with an expanded section between each two adjacent ribs. It will also be clear that inasmuch as the slitted metal isy stretched, as above described, it will be made thinner, and as a conccquence, the expanded web between the ribs will be thinner than the ribs themselves. At least two advantages result from this construction. In the first place, the stretchin g action, to a certain extent, hardens the metal, which willgive rigidity to the web portion, and secondly a decided saving of material is effected, without weakening the structure at any important point. For example, it will be evident that the ribs must be depended upon for support, and these ribs are in no way weakened. Moreover, they are not shortened,` but the original length of the sheet is maintained. The webs of expanded metal between the ribs merely act as stays, and therefore do not have to be as strong. The stretching of the metal and the consequent thinning thereof occurs only in the expanded portion. At the same time, rigidity of said expanded` portion maintained by the hardening of the metal above mentioned. Attention is also called to the fact that the junction between the expanded metal web and the ribs is secured by reverse bends,

shown in Figs. 5 and 6, which are formed in the unslitted metal directly alongside the ribs 2. These .bends serve a two-fold' purpose. In the irst place, they obviate the danger of breakage at the spaced points where the expanded metal joins the uncut portion, and furthermore they materially strengthen the ribs against bending in either direction. v

The structure formed in the manner above described can be used for a variet7 of purposes, such as lathing, concrete reinforcement, etc. When deep ribs are formed intermediate the expanded sections, such as those illustrated at 2 in the drawings, the structure may be used as a self furring lath, the ribs 2 acting as furring strips or ribs.

I do not claim herein the novel method of manufacturing my improved structure, as suoli method forms the subjectmatter of a Patent N o. 1,057,694, dated April 1, 1913.

What I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a metal structure, consisting of a single sheet having spaced high stiffening ribs and a web between the ribs and'integral therewith, said web comprising sinuous strands or ribbons disposed substantially longitudinally of the ribs between the same and each being alternately and integrally joined at spaced points to the adjacent strands or ribbons on opposite sides of it, the said'strands or ribbons being set at an opposite inclination from the center of the web and the outermost being furthermore integrally joined at spaced points to the edges of the ribs, said strands or ribbons being elongated and thereby of Ithkinner material than the material of the r1 s.

2. An expanded sheet metal product including a plurality of spaced high ribs, and expanded open-mesh sections between said ribs and integral therewith, each of which sections consists of connected elongated strands, the strands at one side of the longiother, the outermost strands or ribbons having spaced portions, also integrally joined to the edges of the outer sides of the beads, the portions so joined to the beads being disposed longitudinally of the beads and set at substantially the same inclination as the outer sides thereof.

4. As an article of manufacture, a metal structure consisting of al single sheet having a plurality of spaced stiening ribs and a web between the ribs, said web comprising strands or ribbons that are disposed substantially longitudinally of the ribs between the same and -being sinuous, each strand orribbon being alternately and integrally joined at spaced points to the adjacent ribbons on opposite sides of it, the outermost strands or r.ribbons having spaced portions also integrally joined to the edges of the l ribs, the portions so joined to the ribs being disposed longitudinally of the ribs, and said ribs having their margins adjacent to said juncture with the strands provided with reverse longitudinal beads, the strands or ribbons being of material that is thinner than the ribs. 'Y

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

HERBERT E. .WHITE 1Witnesses F. K. RHINES, O. D. KAISER. 

